"IF ONLY YOU SAW ME"
Chapter Twelve: A talk Amongst Friends
"...I never knew... I would have never known... if you wouldnt have sat down... setting the stone..."
Squall awoke with a throbbing sensation in his back. (no...) he thought. He sat up in bed, looking at Rinoa, peacefully sleeping next to him. He tried to smile, but the pain continue to grow. It had been hurting him recently... pulling at his back. Pulling the skin. He hissed slightly, standing up, rubbing his back. He could feel the burned scar he had. From before... from the damn sun.
He buckled his pants, grabbing his old ruffled shirt from the night before, slipping it over his head. Grabbing a quick sheet of a paper and pen, he scribbled a small note for Rinoa.He then ran toward Sephiroth's room, finding him and Dai sleeping together in their old bed. He sighed, deciding not to bother them.
Running down the stairs, he heard talking from the kitchen. Walking in, he saw Fujin and Wakka talking together. They looked at him, "you're up?"
Squall nodded, "I need to go see someone." He said.
Fujin looked at him confused, "Its broad daylight." She said.
He nodded, "I know."
Wakka stood, "You cant see any one now, you'll burn."
Squall shrugged, "I need to find out whats wrong with me. I think I know someone who will tell me."
Fujin stood and walked up to him, "Who?"
HE sighed, "RInoa's mother."
Wakka crossed his arms in front of his chest, "Julia?"
Squall shook his head, "No, her real mother."
Fujin gasp, "Julia is not her real mother?"
Squall shook his head again, "No."
Wakka walked next to him, "Where is her Mother?"
Squall winced, leaning against the wall. The pain in his back was growing. He opened his eyes slightly, lookig at the ceiling. He let out a small whimper of pain. He couldnt handle it. "Squall, what's wrong?" Fujin asked, resting her hand on his shoulder.
He looked at her, "I need to go."
He grabbed Wakka's leather cloak from the coat rack, putting it over his head. "If I dont come back, tell Rinoa I"m sorry and I love her."
Wakka nodded, "I"m confused... but I understand. Just be careful, ya?"
Squall nodded. "I wish you luck out there Squall. The sun shows no mercy." Fujin said.
Squall laughed, "Thank you, Fujin."
He then left the room, and walked out the front door. He hissed as his eyes caught sight of the sun. Closing them tightly, he felt the heat go through the cloak, slightly burning his skin. He tried to keep from screaming and began to run. Why he was leaving so early, he didnt know... but he knew once he reached Rinoa's mother, he could find out what made her react toward him the way she did. He remembered her face, when she found out his name. He wanted to know why she had done that. Rinoa hadnt mentioned her mother at all since she last visited her.
Squall ran at his top speed, grimacing as each bit of sunlight that touched his skin. Running through Balamb, he reach the building and stopped running. He looked at it slowly and walked inside. Once inside, He slightly uncovered his face to talk to the receptionist. When she looked at him, she gasped, "Oh my god! Sir, somethings wrong with your eyes. Are you alright?"
Squall looked at her, "I'm fine."
She stood, looking at him closely, "But they're red...full of blood... Maybe I should get the nurse in for you-"
"NO!"
She stared at him confused. He shook his head, "I'm fine. Just... may I see Joan Heartilly please." He said.
She looked at him one last time, then nodded, "Um, I'm sorry, only family is allowed to see her."
Squall leaned against the desk, making sure the cloak didnt fall from his back. "I'm her son in law. Her daughter and I recently got married."
The Receptionist smiled, "Well then. Best of wishes to the newly weds, now follow me."
Squall smiled and followed her into the same room as before. He hissed when he saw some sunlight. He looked at the receptionist, "Could you please close the blinds? I'm sensitive to light." He said.
She nodded, "Of course."
She closed the blinds, looked at Squall and left the room. Squall sat in a chair, letting the cloak fall from his back. He looked at his hands. They were red and sore. (Damn sunlight...) he thought.
A nurse walked in, holding a blind folded Joan Heartilly in her grasp. "Be easy with her. She just went through a traumatic stage."
Squall tilted his head, "Traumatic?"
The nurse nodded, "After your last visit. She went a bit 'nuts' and slit her wrist."
Squall's eyes widened, "What? When? Is she alright now?"
The nurse laughed, allowing Joan to sit down, "I already told you what and when. But she's fine now. Her vision is improving. She could remove her blind fold if she pleased."
With that, the nurse left and left Joan and Squall in the same room together.
Rinoa opened her eyes, and yawned. "Squall?" She whispered.
Turning to her side, she saw he wasnt there. Instead, a note was placed on his pillow saying "Something Urgent came up. I must go out. I;ll be back after sundown."
Her eyes widened. Sundown? The sun's up. Why would he walk around when the sun is up? Has he gone mad? She quickly shot up in bed, pulling on one of Squall's pants, tightening the buckle tight to prevent it from falling and pulled on her sleeping tank. Grabbing the note tightly in her hand, she ran down the steps, tripping on the last to fall on her face, "UMPH!...Ugh..."
A hand appeared in front of her. She looked at it and trailed it back to it owner. "Dai?" she whispered.
Dai was wearing different clothes, not Rinoa's. Dai smiled, grabbing Rinoa's hand, pulling her up. "Where were you going?"
Rinoa coughed, wiping her throbbing nose, "I'm going to get Squall. He's out in sunlight. He shouldnt be."
Dai took Rinoa's arm, leading her to the kitchen where a small breakfast was set. "Here. I dont eat much. You can have my breakfast."
Rinoa stared at her, "But...but.."
Dai stood in front of her, lightly rubbed Rinoa's arms, "Listen. Squall will be fine. He's dont it before."
RInoa shook her head, "But-"
Dai squinted at Rinoa, shutting her up. "Alright. Eat breakfast."
Rinoa nodded and walked toward the table, grabbing a chair.She looked at the breakfast. Pancakes, eggs and bacon...Reminded her of when she had left home. She sighed and took a bite. Dai sat next to her and looked at her, "Dont like me much, huh?"
Rinoa looked at her, a mouth full of pancakes, "I nuva shaid sdats-"
Dai looked away, "Chew and swallow please."
Rinoa laughed and did as she was told, "I never said that." she said clearly.
Dai looked at her, "I could tell yesterday. You didnt like many of us much. You gave us all looks about every 5 minutes."
Rinoa lowered her head, "I was upset."
Dai grinned, "Because I took your blue outfit?"
Rinoa looked at her, swallowing a peice of egg, "Oh, No."
Dai laughed, leaning back in her chair, "Dont lie to me. I can see you know."
Rinoa looked at her confused. Dai laughed again, "I know things."
"Ohhhhhh." RInoa said, grabbing a bacon and taking a bite. Rinoa swallowed her bit of food and looked at Dai, "It made me a little more upset. My mother...well... my god mother bought that for me."
Dai smiled, "I see."
Rino nodded, "Yeah. I just didnt know how to react becuase I felt Squall was ignoring me."
Dai laughed again, "he gets that way when he;s serious."
Rinoa nodded, "I just started to notice."
Dai smiled, "Be happy thats the only way he changes."
Rinoa nodded, "Okay. But...are you saying this because of Sephiroth?"
A cold look fell in Dai's eyes yet she smiled and nodded, "Yes."
Rinoa scooted in her seat, closer to Dai, "I want to know what happened... tell me?"
Dai laughed, "And why should I tell you?"
"Because I asked nicely."
"Idiot."
"HEY!"
Dai laughed again. "Oh dont worry. I didnt mean anything by it." She sighed, "You sure you want to know?"
Rinoa nodded. Dai sighed again and looked up at the ceiling, leaning back in her chair. "When I met Sephiroth... it was about 200 years ago I guess. Never really took the date. But, he was different. He was fierce and cunning. A sly fox. I loved him for it. He made me want to know him... so mysterious." A large grin spread across Dai's face, "He knew me well. A little to well. I was honored to live with him."
She looked at Rinoa and frowned, "But, when mortals came to take over Balamb, we had an all out war. It was amazing to watch Sephiroth train and plan for it. Yet, after it ended. After Joia died and Squall went into deep sleep... he just... changed. He became soft. He didnt pay much attention to me either. He always slept through the mornigs and stayed in at nights. I ended up having fun on my own. We didnt feed together, we did nothing together besides sleep. And we barely did that."
"Oh.." Rinoa said, lowering her head, "But he seems so ni-"
"NIce. Yes. Was he always? No. He was an aggressive man. Yet... gentle. Not nice. Nice would never describe him. Until then. Eventully I told him I couldnt take it. Without taking my stuff, I left, only taking the one necklace he had given me. It was my word to him that I was his only, no matter where I was. And I've kept to my word. Sephiroth has been the only man I've ever touched, ever been with. And I plan to keep it that way."
Rinoa smiled, "You two have a strong bond."
Dai smiled, "Yes.. we do. But... I miss the old him. So I cant stay near him, if he's...nice."
Dai cringed everytime she said the word "nice." Rinoa looked at her, "Whats wrong with him being nice?"
Dai sighed, "I cant see him that way. He taught me to be who I am. I knew him ever since i was a child and secretly loved him. He taught me to stand up for myself. To be brave and not take crap from no one. After I became like him... he turned into... someone else. He wasnt the Sephiroth I loved. Yet, deep down, I still felt that Sephiroth there... yet, dorment."
Rinoa nodded, "I understand."
Dai smiled, "Wasnt til about 50 years ago when I fist came to a ball here. I saw Sephiroth on the balcony of this house. And I took his arm and took him to the ball. He was happy to see me of course. We rarely had any contact. Then, I told him about everything and how I felt. He understood. So we had made it clear, every year, I'd see him once, just at that ball. I'd have my fun and unruled life.. And He'd have his home."
Rinoa looked at her confused, "I kind of understand."
Dai laughed, "I"m a very complicated person."
Rinoa laughed, "I know."
Dai took a peice of bacon and stood, "Well...sorry to rush off but I need to morning rest for tonight."
Rinoa nodded, "Its fine. See you tonight then."
Dai smiled, "Talk more. You might learn to like me."
RInoa laughed and took another bite out of her breakfast. Before Dai could even leave the room, she called for her, "Thanks for the brealfast. Its real good."
Dai smiled, "You're welcome."
Squall looked at Joan. Joan looked at him through the clothe of her eyes. She couldnt see him well. "Joan?"
She moved closer to him, "Squall..."
